


Stranger Drabbles Halloween Special

by That_Is_Americas_Ass



Series: Stranger Drabbles [10]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: I ain't giving shit away, read and find out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 18:54:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21258014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Is_Americas_Ass/pseuds/That_Is_Americas_Ass
Summary: It's Halloween time in the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana.Everyone has been dealing with the aftermath of the battle at Starcourt Mall in their own way. With the Mind Flayer defeated and the gate closed, the Party all try and move on with their lives.Max and Billy?Not so much.





	Stranger Drabbles Halloween Special

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovelies! Welcome to my long awaited Halloween Special! I'm not giving anything away for this one because I'm a horrible person like that. 
> 
> That said, Happy Halloween everyone! 
> 
> Trick or Treat! 
> 
> Lots of treats ahead for you all, and possibly a few tricks as well.

* * *

The nostalgia of carved pumpkins, falling leaves and spooky monsters had descended on the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana. It was funny to see the small town America become infatuated with make believe monsters and spooks when _real_ monsters had been hiding under their noses for years. Of course, no one knew the truth about what lurked beneath the quiet town of Hawkins. 

If only they knew what really went bump in the night as they all slept soundly in their beds, unaware of the nightmares plaguing their town. 

After the chaos of Starcourt Mall burning to the ground during the 4th of July celebration, Hawkins had slowly returned to it's original small-town charm. Downtown was in the process of being re-done, shops re-opening after foreclosures pillaged the owners, the people of Hawkins returned to their beloved mom and pop shops rather than the overpriced, corporate run shopping center. 

The only tragedy that continued to bane the town was the grievous death of Chief Jim Hopper. The funeral held in his honor was both sorrowful and heartwarming, people sharing their favorite stories and tall tales of the beloved Police Chief, raising a salute to the man who gave his life for the people he served to protect. 

The Party had mourned in their own way.

El had read the letter Hopper wrote to her, sharing it with her friends. They had all cried and laughed, knowing Hop was serious about his _3 inches_ rule. It brought a little light into their lives after the tragic events that had nearly destroyed them and the world. 

Unfortunately, Joyce had dropped another bombshell on them soon after. She had received an offer on the house and they would be moving soon. It was simply too painful for her to stay in Hawkins. 

The Party had been devastated... 

Will didn't want to leave his friends behind, breaking down over the thought of leaving them to move somewhere new. Jonathan had tried to look on the brighter side of things, striving for a long distance relationship with Nancy. 

Mike and El had taken the news the hardest. 

They both feared the separation, afraid of loosing one another again. El promised Mike she would call him every single day until they could see each other. It had been heartbreaking for them both to part ways, breaking down as they were forced apart. 

The remaining Party members all held their chins high even though they were all crushed, knowing they were going to be apart. It was hard to picture their group split up and _not_ doing things together every weekend or hanging out a school. Their dreams of walking through the high school doors for the first time together were now only pipe dreams. 

Max and Lucas had helped Will pack all of his personal things, trying to make it easier for him by bringing up good memories.

Mike went with El to help her pack up all her belongings and help go through the things she wanted to keep of Hopper's. 

Dustin assisted Joyce anyway he could, being her little muscle hauling out boxes or helping her wrap up dishes, trying to take some of the stress from her. 

Together, It only took the Party two days to box everything up for the move. By the end of September, the Byers' family, plus one, had packed everything up and moved out of Hawkins. 

It had been a gloomy day for Max, Lucas, Dustin and Mike, watching their friends drive away. 

Mike had broken down, leaning against Lucas as tears rolled down his cheeks, fearing the thought of never seeing El again. Lucas, Max and Dustin all hurried to wrap their arms around him, melting into one big group hug. It made it a little easier being together, being able to share the sorrow and lean on one another for support. 

They were not ashamed to admit they all cried that day. 

As September came to a close and October reared it's head, things had slowly but surely calmed down and were returning to normal. 

Or really, as _normal_ as Hawkins Indiana can get anyway.

The beginning of Halloween season had everyone up in arms about costumes and who would get the most candy from trick or treating. The boys were all excited about going to the Halloween party Steve was hosting. Most of the school body would be attending as well as the Party, foregoing their normal tradition of trick or treating the whole night away. 

It wouldn't be the same without Will going with them. 

Also, Mike had been saddened by Eleven's absence even more when he remembered that _this_ Halloween was going to be her first real Halloween experience. It was something he'd looked forward to sharing with her, not only to have the memories together but also to experience seeing El go through the excitement of just being a kid. Picking out costumes, getting candy, making a complete idiot of yourself, the whole nine yards. 

He really hoped El and Will had a good Halloween together, even if he didn't get to be a part of it.

With only a week away from the haunting night of Halloween, the Party had been spending all their time working on their costumes, keeping everything _hush hush_ so it would be a surprise. Since they refused to dress up as a group without Will or El present, they all decided to go seperatly and see who would have the best costume. 

The only stipulation was that everyone had to go as something original, something out of the box. 

Let the Halloween fun begin!

* * *

Max had been vigorously laboring away at her costume hoping to win the unspoken tournament between the boys on who would have the best costume, and she had kept everything a secret as she compiled her outfit together. The only person even allowed in her bedroom while she was working on her costume was Billy, and really that was only because he would barge in at any given time without warning. 

Like now for instance...

"You're going through a lot 'a trouble for this Halloween party Harrington's throwing," Billy stated, reclining backwards to find a comfortable position. He was lounging on the bed with his feet propped up as Max rummaged through her closet to try and find some more sewing thread. The whole idea had seemed comical to him when she first told him about her master plan. He'd thrown in a few helpful thoughts of his own to further her schemes, encouraging her twisted ideas. 

It had also been amusing for him to watch Max scurry to finish her project in time.

"It's not just about Steve's party," Max affirmed, again, having explained the whole thing to her brother multiple times already. "My costume must out-do all of theirs because Halloween is my favorite holiday and therefore I must be superior to those peasants."

"By showing off your _superior_ sewing skills?" he teased her, smirking when Max scowled up at him with petulance in her eyes. 

"You sexist bastard!" she cried, grabbing one of her shoes and chucking it at him. 

He didn't bother to duck.

"If you're going to insist on being a nuisance, then at least be a _criticizing_ nuisance and tell me if this looks okay."

Max held up her costume dress for him to critique, letting the fabric flow out like it was supposed to. It only went past her knees but it fanned out at the bottom. It was the look she was going for to start with, she'd make the _horrific_ changes later on when Halloween arrived. 

Looking down at her hard work, she had to give herself some credit. She made a damn good seamstress even though she had no clue what she was doing.

Billy studied the dress for a minute, watching the way it swung around as Max walked with it pressed against her front. It was definitely not something Max would normally wear that was for damn sure. 

"You're wearing stockings with it, right?"

"Yeah, but the dress is the main part. Does it not look right?" she asked, looking back down at the dress uncertain. 

"It looks fine but stockings would complete the whole effect you're going for."

"Stockings _aside_. Does my dress look good or not?"

"Turn it around?"

She did so, letting him see the giant bow she'd done for the back. The dress screamed _innocent_ which is what she wanted. It honestly looked like something one would put on one of those fancy China dolls. 

"You think it's big enough?" Billy gestured to the obnoxiously large red, bow. 

"That's what she said," Max deadpanned, smoothing out the bottom of her dress as Billy busted out in laughter, clutching at his stomach. 

"I have taught you well," he applauded her, finally giving his opinion on her costume like she'd asked after he stopped laughing. Together they made some finishing touches on the dress before Max deemed it worthy of making its Halloween appearance.

For the next couple of hours, Billy watched Max work on her cape for her costume and continued to tease her about her sewing skills. It was just too funny to watch her get flustered. On the one hand, he did have to admit that she did a fantastic job. Her costume looked professionally made rather than homemade. 

If you'd have asked him, Billy would have claimed Max didn't even know how to sew. 

Boy was he wrong. 

"What are you gonna dress up as?" Max asked quietly, sucking on her finger when her needle poked her. Her poor fingertips were raw from all the needle jamming she'd done. 

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" he snarked, grinning cruelly. It could only mean trouble if Billy was acting secretive about it. 

Last year, after the chaos of the move to Indiana, neither sibling had really been interested in celebrating Halloween that year. The only reason Max had met up with the boys was because Billy had talked her into going trick or treating so he could go to the party at Tina's, going as an _Outsider_ with his leather jacket and biker gloves. Max had grabbed the first costume she could find at the store when she asked her mom to take her. 

Other than Will having an attack that night and Mike giving her the cold shoulder, it had been pretty fun.

Definitely not like how she and Billy normally did Halloween. 

Halloween was what they considered to be _their_ holiday. They would go to whatever Haunted Mansion was set up, laughing at most of the actors in costumes. They'd watch horror movies together over popcorn, criticizing the old school slasher films that were too fake to enjoy. Not to mention, they would spend weeks pondering over costumes. 

It was one of the few times they actually acted like siblings. 

Max wondered how much longer their Halloween trickery would last. Soon she would be too old to go trick or treating and Billy may not always be around. It was a hard thing to think about, picturing a future where they were apart during the spookiest time of the year. 

"What are you thinking about?" Billy suddenly questioned, still leaning back on the bed watching her. 

Rather than answer him, she just shrugged and continued to work on her costume. She didn't want to voice her fears to him, not only because she didn't want to talk about it but also because she didn't want Billy to tease her over it. If anything, he'd either laugh it off and ignore it or he'd mock her for being too soft. 

"Guys! Dinner's ready!" Susan cried from the kitchen, the wafting smell of baked chicken filling the house. 

Max heard Neil lumber down the hallway past her room towards the kitchen, the mumbling voices of both their parents talking softly over the TV in the living room. The house was unusually quiet for some reason, probably because Billy wasn't playing his music obnoxiously loud like he normally would be. 

"Are you coming?" she asked, setting her costume aside to stand up. Her back was stiff from sitting on the floor for so long, popping as she stretched her spine out.

Billy shrugged slightly, not bothering to get up, "Not hungry."

"Neil will kill you if he finds you in here," she whispered cautiously, knowing how wrathful her step-father could be. She'd seen how hostile Neil could get when he was in one of his moods, putting together the odd bruises Billy had sometimes gotten even when he claimed they were just from random scuffs he'd get into. 

But Max knew her brother, and she knew that if Billy got into a fight with someone, he didn't lose. Black eyes and bloody noses had been a common sight on him, but Max knew many of those injuries had happened in what was supposed to be the safety of their home. 

Now, however, Billy didn't seem to care about his dads anger. Not like he used to. In fact, he honestly didn't seem bothered by Neil's vexation, not after the 4th of July nightmare. 

"Fuckin' let him," Billy growled lowly, leaning back on Max's comforter and closing his eyes. "Go eat and let me sleep."

Max knew better than to fight him, shrugging at his laziness and just shut the bedroom light off before closing the door. If Billy wanted to lie around instead of joining her at the table then that was fine. 

She'd handle Neil's badgering by herself.

* * *

As the days to Halloween slowly counted down, Max made countless trips to the general store for supplies to finish her costume. Rather than ask for a ride, she'd taken her bike or simply walked to the store each day. It had been comical to see the look of horror on her mom's face when she brought home two large cartons of fake blood to finish her costume up. 

Billy had outright guffawed at the horrified look on Susan's face. 

Unlike the siblings, Susan never got into the spirit of Halloween, preferring the bright bubbly cheerfulness of Christmas over the happy hauntings of Halloween. It made dressing up in frightening costumes ever better just to see the reaction from their parents. 

_The bloodier the better._

"Did you see the look on her face? Fucking priceless," Billy smirked, watching Max unpack her newest purchases. "You’d think after being married to the old man for so long she’d be used to the sight of blood."

Max tried not to flinch at the harsh tone, knowing Billy was only making a cruel joke. It was rare in the past for him to make fun of such things, having been on the wrong end of Neil's fist himself, but lately it seemed like nothing phased Billy anymore. 

Ever since the sanguinary campaign of the Mind Flayer, he’d been _different._

Something about being possessed by the nefarious monster had broken him, warping him in ways Max still struggled to pinpoint. 

In a word, Billy was _darker_.

It was off-putting how foreboding his behavior had become, bordering on frightening, sometimes even sinister. He no longer feared anything, including Neil, and his attitude towards the world was cold, close to hostile. The twisted sense of humor had not really changed, though it did come across as twisted and far more minacious than normal. 

In fact, Max was often thrown by how chilling her brothers jokes had been as of late. 

She sometimes wondered if his mind had been broken by the Mind Flayer. 

Billy rarely spoke of the monstrous creature that plagued him. There had been times when Max had wanted to question him, beg him for answers, but her brother remained tight-lipped. If she ever _did_ mention the Upside Down in any way, Billy would become guarded and unresponsive. 

She learned very quickly that it was a subject best left unanswered.

It was probably for the best.

* * *

It was only two days until Halloween. 

With the big day gaining on them, the Party had spent almost all of their free time working on their costumes and had not been able to hang out as often as they'd like. They still talked over the radio every day, having some serious separation anxiety with Will and El gone, needing to keep in contact often. 

Every day that week, Max had spent with Billy at her side. 

This was not unusual.

After the Independence day from Hell, the siblings had been more or less attached at the hip. Max had become a tad clingy, she would admit, but Billy was just as bad as she was. He'd become forcefully watchful, constantly vigilant over her actions like a damn stalker. It didn't bother Max so much because she was just as paranoid herself, finding comfort in her brothers presence. 

Then again, sometimes she really wished for a break...

Max thought she would catch a break when Lucas asked her to go out on a date with him to the local diner, offering to buy her a milkshake. It had been awhile since it was just them hanging out without the rest of the Party. She had jumped at the chance since it would get her out of the house for a couple of hours and give her a chance to unwind. 

Unfortunately, luck was not on her side when it came to catching a break from her new shadow like she'd hoped. 

"I'd kill someone for a decent burger," Billy said, pausing before chuckling darkly at his own fucked up joke. That dark laugh always made Max's skin crawl uncomfortably. 

After getting ready to meet up with Lucas at the diner, Max had been surprised when Billy claimed he would be accompanying them. She really shouldn’t have been shocked, not with how protective her brother was in general and knowing he was even worse when it came to Lucas. She hadn't bothered to argue because she knew even if she tried to get him to stay away he’d just follow her out of spite!

Her brother was an asshole like that...

Lucas had scored them a booth near the back, sitting across from the siblings. The sweet teen had even offered to cover the whole tab but Max declined, waving her own cash to cover her food. She didn't always like it when Lucas spent his hard earned money on her, knowing her boyfriend worked hard during the summer to scrape by with what little he made. 

"You're not gonna let the boy pay? After all the trouble Sinclair went through to get you out on a date with him?" Billy goaded Max quietly, smirking as she sighed at him in annoyance. 

Lucas ignored Billy's spurring taunts but it was harder for Max. She'd lived most of her life keeping Billy in her sights as a precaution, never knowing when his playful nature would turn into something vicious. She'd learned to read her brother well, filing away every facial expression and tone of voice, knowing what was going through his head just by looking at him. 

At the moment, her brother was just being a dick and hounding her for being on a date in the first place. 

After placing their order with the older waitress and chatting for a bit about what they'd been doing, Lucas looked at Max with those searching eyes of his, a small frown gracing his lips. It was clear he wanted to say something but was unsure how to word it without offending her. 

Max rolled her eyes and groaned, "What is it?"

"I'm just worried about you, that's all," Lucas surrendered gently, not wanting to start a fight or argue with her. He didn't want to piss her off he just wanted to know if she was doing okay. 

"Worried about what exactly?" she demanded, crossing her arms in defiance. She hated it when other people looked at her with pity in their eyes...exactly the way Lucas was staring at her now. It infuriated her when people underestimated her in any way shape or form, that included emotionally.

"You know why," Lucas whispered. "I know things haven't been great lately with Will and El moving and the Party being split up, but we're worried about you. Dustin said you haven't been to the arcade since July and Mike's just as concerned as us, and don't think I haven't noticed you've been biking or walking everywhere instead of shredding it up on your board."

Max slowly felt her walls come down after listening to her boyfriends explanation, knowing he was just concerned about her. She knew they were all worried, to an extent, but apparently she didn't realize how much. 

"I've told you guys like a thousand times already, I'm fine."

"And you'd tell me if something was wrong?"

"Of course I would, Stalker."

Lucas smiled at her, holding up his pinky for a pinky swear. They wrapped their fingers together and grinned, parting when their food suddenly arrived. They thanked their waitress, each grabbing their own plates and shakes. 

"Why exactly do you call him Stalker?" Billy asked darkly, sneering at the unspoken implications of such an odd nickname. "You never did explain that one."

Max resisted the urge to roll her eyes, already fed up with her brothers presence. He was slowly becoming a thorn in her side. If all he was going to do was mock her and Lucas then he could leave!

"I'm gonna go wash my hands real quick," Lucas muttered, sliding out from the booth to head off towards the restrooms. The second they were alone, Max turned to Billy and glared at him.

"Why are you even here? I still don't know why you came here in the first place, asshole!" she cried in annoyance, knowing no amount of rage from her would deter him though. 

"What's wrong, Maxine? Don't like me chaperoning your date with Sinclair?"

"I don't need a chaperone!"

Billy just grinned mischievously, "Oh, I think you do. Just think of all the improper things that could happen if your big brother wasn't here to look after you."

An older woman a few booths away turned and stared at them incredulously. Billy turned towards the nosey woman and winked with a leering smile but the old biddy just continued to stare in distaste. Max ignored her and kept arguing with him. 

"I don't need your damn protection! I'm 14, not 4!"

"Says the girl who nicknamed her boyfriend _stalker_. That's a red flag for me, MadMax."

"We are not talking about this," she stated firmly, turning back just as Lucas came out of the bathroom. 

"We will be later," Billy commanded just as firmly, glaring right back. 

As Lucas joined them again, they dug into their food happily. Max had gone with a classic chocolate milkshake with a side order of fries to dip in said milkshake. It was a treat that Billy had taught her years ago.

_The classic mixture of sweet and salty._

"Are you excited for Steve's Halloween party?" Lucas asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fun," she smiled softly, dipping a fry in her milkshake. 

"Tell him what you're going as," Billy pressed, leaning into her space just to be obnoxious.

"What are you going to be?" Lucas asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

Max rolled her eyes at them both, knowing Billy was only trying to wind her up because he knew what she was going as and Lucas had asked her a million times already.

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"You're no fun," Billy pouted childishly, knowing she was throwing his own words right back at her as he leaned against his palm. 

After listening to her brother pout for a few more minutes, Max eventually followed Lucas' lead and promptly ignored Billy the rest of the meal, even with all the subtle jabs he sent her way to gain her attention back.

Max knew that Billy had never warmed up to Lucas, not like Susan and Neil had. She knew it had something to do with her brothers weird possessive streak, one she knew how to manipulate under certain circumstances, but it had never really diminished that much around Lucas. Whenever they were together, Billy would constantly cast loathsome glances at Lucas, a side affect of her brothers unusual jealousy. 

It was just something Max had grown used to. 

Once they had had their fill of fries and milkshakes, Max lead them outside where Lucas' mom was waiting to pick him up in the parking lot. 

"I'll talk to you later okay?” Lucas hugged her, smiling at her before getting into the car with his mom, waving at her as they pulled away.

Max watched her boyfriend drive away, waving to him while Billy leaned against the building behind her.

Billy licked his lips and teasingly pouted at her, "I don't think Sinclair likes me very much."

She rolled her eyes and didn’t bother answering him. Since they’d walked to the diner, Max just started heading back towards their house, not bothering to see if Billy was coming or not.

"What? You still pissed at me for tagging along on your little date with Lucas?" Billy snarked behind her, catching up to get in step. "Maaaxxx?"

She just ignored him until he quit.

* * *

T'was the night before Halloween and all through the house, not a creature was stirring...except for poor Max who couldn't sleep from the nightmares recurring.

It was late, well past the time normal folks went to sleep, but Max was still awake fighting to shut her mind down. She glared at the clock on her nightstand, rolling over to face the other direction. 

Ever since the nightmare of the Upside Down, and the 4th of July tragedy, she'd been having some trouble trying to sleep through the night. It was hard to get a peaceful nights sleep when you were constantly afraid of dark shadows, fearing what could be lurking in the darkness, jumping at every small sound thinking something is coming after you. 

So, sleep had unfortunately become a long lost friend to her. 

Then again, most of her slumber problems also stemmed from a certain someone continuously coming into her room at night to pester her. 

_Speak of the Devil..._

The quiet sound of shuffling could be heard from the end of the bed, along with the vague outline of Billy's form moving around in the darkness. It had become a normal routine almost every night now. When Max would go to bed, regardless of where that may be, Billy would inevitably follow at some point.

He slowly crawled up beside her, laying down to face her. Almost every night this happened Billy would just lay awake and stare at her, another strange habit he'd picked up after the Mind Flayer took him for a ride, making Max's skin crawl beneath his intense gaze. 

"Why can't you sleep like a normal human being?" she whined, rolling away to face the other direction, back facing the dreaded clock. 

The damn thing was mocking her, she swore it was. 

Billy tsked, "Sleep is for the weak."

"Well unlike _some_ weirdos, I still need a few hours every night to function!" she growled, pulling her pillow over her head to block him out. 

Her feeble attempts at ignoring him were in vein...

"This is the most uncomfortable bed ever," Billy muttered crossly, glowering in irritation. He always complained, every time, that her bed was too hard to sleep on. 

Like a damn princess with his foam mattress and feather pillows.

"When have you ever actually slept on this bed?" she mumbled sourly, knowing it was unlikely. 

"Never 'cause it's too fuckin' hard to sleep on!" he cried, moving around again to try and find a better position. "Like laying on the damn floor."

"Would you stop complaining and let me sleep already?"

"If I must suffer, so shall you."

Max whined again, rolling over to onto her stomach to sleep on the edge of her bed, her pillow above her head as a barrier between them. Anything to block out the continuous grunts he would make with every move. 

It got old real fast.

"Stop moving around!" she demanded, her exhaustion making her extremely moody and not up for dealing with Billy's bullshit. She was tired and she wanted sleep, she needed the sleep. 

_Must to sleep!_

"Why are you even in here? You don't sleep in here half the time anyway," Billy grumbled, turning his cold gaze back over to her. He wasn't wrong either, Max had taken to sleeping in his room more often than not.

"Oh my God, if I move to your room will you shut up and let me fucking sleep?" she pleaded, rolling off her bed to stand up, shoving her own pillow under her arm. 

Billy watched her silently, contemplating it before shrugging, "...maybe."

Max didn't bother to check if he was following her or not. She grabbed what she needed and marched down the hallway to Billy's room, throwing open the door and tossing herself onto the bed. It was easy to find the comfy spot she always laid on, pressed close to the wall.

Reaching above the headboard, she flipped on the little radio Billy had set up on the window pane to listen to the soft sounds of rock flowing out the speakers. She kept the volume low so they wouldn't wake their parents. Music usually helped her relax, calming her mind enough to let her drift off. She desperately needed to get some shut eye so she'd be ready for Halloween the next day. 

Max wasn't sure when Billy came in, but she could hear him beside her lounging across the blankets, singing quietly to the radio. The last thing she heard was Billy humming along to the deep notes of The Eagles, Hotel California.

Thankfully, she didn't dream of monsters that night.

* * *

Halloween day had fallen upon Hawkins and everyone was excited for the trickery to begin. Little ones had taken to the streets with their parents to hit up the local store fronts giving out candy. There was a pumpkin carving contest in the park, a corn maze at the Blackburn Farm and countless Halloween themed parties throughout the town. 

The Party had agreed to meet up at Steve's house for the party that evening. They also agreed that they would go out trick or treating after they had their fill of partying.

Max had finished up the details on her costume and was just adding on the gorey details to finish it up. Her bedroom looked like a freaking murder scene by the time she was done. She'd laid out a plastic tarp on her floor so she wouldn't get fake blood everywhere, or on her bed, giving her enough room to work without making a mess. She finished splattering her dress and making the correct rips and tears, same with her cape, and she had almost finished slashing up her stockings. The boots she had chosen to wear would be the only things not covered in blood. 

Her mom had disapproved of the horrific costume but gave in to Max's pleading, buying her the items she needed to create her frightful masterpiece. The last piece of her outfit was a hand basket lined with red plaid, a single item creeping out of it beneath the bloody fabric. 

Max waited for the blood to dry before dressing herself, adding on her own bloody make-up afterwards to complete the look. 

In the end, she looked like she'd gone a few rounds with a demented chainsaw.

_It was perfect._

"Well, well, if that isn't the scariest Red Riding Hood get-up I've ever seen," Billy's voice droned from the doorway. He was leaning against the door frame watching her put on her shredded cape, eyeing the bloody basket at her feet. 

With her red hair, she made a fantastic Red Riding Hood. Only this time, it was more like a twisted fairytale version of the beloved character. 

Max smiled down at herself, happy with her outfit, before turning to look at her brother.

"What do you think?" Billy motioned to himself, grinning like the Cheshire cat. 

He looked gruesome, but that was the whole point wasn't it? His shirt was ripped across his chest, black slime smeared around his torso and neck. His hands were covered in whatever black substance he'd chosen as well. 

Looking at his face, Max felt her stomach roll at the sight of black slime smudged down his chin and around his mouth, even his teeth appeared to be stained black. His eyes were dark as well, almost _dead_ looking, like he was a walking corpse. 

_Very creepy._

Max stared at him for a second, swallowing uncomfortably just from looking at him, muttering quietly, "You look like a walking nightmare."

"It's Halloween, babe, that's kinda the point."

"Did you have to go with something so--grotesque?"

"Says the Red Riding Hood who killed and _dismembered_ the Big Bad Wolf?" he gestured to Max's bloody dress and basket, where her fake werewolf paw was sticking out, also covered in blood. 

"At least I don't look like a rotting zombie," Max scrunched up her nose in disgust. 

"With a little more make-up, we could change that. A zombie, murderous Red Riding Hood that goes around killing innocent, unsuspecting wolves. Who's the real monster here?" he chaffed, pursing his darkened lips mockingly just to rile her up. 

"Innocent looking little Red," he continued, strolling further into the bedroom. "Hiding behind a mask of guiltlessness. At least I have the decency to flaunt my monstrous appearance…" he growled.

Max recoiled at the unspoken insinuation Billy was making. The subtle suggestion of blame for what happened, keeping him in the dark about the Upside Down, how things could have been avoided if she’d just told him the truth. 

It was a self-condemnation that she had begun to live with...

Max often thought about what would have been different had they brought Billy in on the horrific happenings going on in Hawkins.

He would have helped her had she only asked him.

Looking down, Max felt a wave of shame wash over her thinking about the Mind Flayer using Billy like a puppet. What he went through, what could have been avoided if he knew the truth, there would never be a day she didn’t think about it.

It only made her heart ache all the more to know her brother still deemed her to blame in some way. 

Billy was suddenly kneeling in front of her, staring at her with those dark eyes, a softer look on his face now.

"Smile for me?"

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Max shrugged solemnly keeping her gaze down.

_She didn’t really feel like smiling anymore…_

Pumpkins lined the driveways and sidewalks as they walked to the Harrington house, watching trick or treaters run up and down the roads dressed up in costumes, smiling and laughing with each other as they raced to fill their treat bags. 

It was nice to see so many little ones running around happily munching on sweets, giggling without care, comparing their winnings like they’d won a poker game.

Max remembered when she would get super excited about getting full size candy bars, making candy apples, eating so much caramel corn that she’d get a tummy ache.

Now, she was just happy about not needing to worry about monsters lurking around every corner on the scariest night of the year.

News flash, the scariest night of her year had already happened.

A few kids complimented her costume, gasping in delightful little screams when they saw the bloody werewolf hand in her basket. So far, she was the only Red Riding Hood they’d seen that night. Billy did give her props for that.

"Good choice on the costume, Red."

The trek to Steve’s was not long, but Max did make a quick side trip to see a few Halloween lights. Since Susan didn’t approve of Halloween, the Hargrove household never put much effort into decorating for the holiday.

Much to the disappointment of both siblings.

The closer they got to the Harrington house, the louder the music and screams became. Max could hear a few teenagers singing loudly to Monster Mash as they danced in the street. There were many partiers drinking and laughing outside the large home, some dancing around the pool, even some on top of the parked cars like they were on stage. 

A typical high school Halloween party.

Steve had invited all of the kids to make them feel included and to keep them from missing Will and El. It wasn’t exactly a normal scene for the Party to be in, but they had all agreed knowing Steve meant well.

Keeping her eyes open for her friends, Max and Billy walked up the driveway through the crowd of bodies. It was a packed house. Both students of Hawkins High as well as those who had already graduated were there. A quick search found the one and only Steve Harrington passing out candy to everyone dressed up in his costume...a costume that had both siblings doing a double take.

"Holy...shit."

"I didn’t think he was serious, did you?"

"Apparently he was _dead_ serious."

Billy smirked as Max waved to Steve, watching the neon yellow sequin prom dress swish with every step the other boy made.

Steve, sweet Steve, had agreed to do a duo costume with Nancy to make her happy. They were each dressed up as dead prom Queens with sashes that read _Drop Dead Gorgeous._

It was hysterical to see the previous King of Hawkins strutting around in a tacky prom dress.

Watching the older boy work his outfit like a pro, Max didn’t know whether to be impressed or horrified by Steve’s brevity.

Billy leaned over and whispered to her, grinning, "Kind of a pretty boy, isn't he?"

She couldn’t help but snort in laughter, breaking out into giggles! If there was one word she would have chosen to describe Steve it would definitely be pretty.

Billy smirked, "There's that smile."

"And what, pray tell, is so funny?" Steve asked as he reached them, watching Max giggle even louder.

She smiled at him and gave him a playful wink, "Nothing at all, Pretty Boy."

Steve stared at her for a second before smirking, muttering, "I see someone blabbed a few secrets." 

He remembered the stupid nickname Billy had given him purely out of spite.

"Ain't much of a secret if it's true, Harrington," Billy scoffed, leaning against the banister.

A few other people called to Steve from across the room, waving him over. The older teen offered Max a candy before making his leave. 

"Love the costume by the way, very creepy!"

"Thanks," both siblings replied in unison.

Steve wandered off to talk to his other guests. As soon as he was gone, Billy turned to Max and smirked.

"See? Stevie boy thinks my look is awesome."

"Pretty sure he was talking about me. My costumes creepy, yours is just terrifying."

"Still should have gone with zombie make-up," he sing-songed, watching a girl in a sexy witch costume waltz by. The pointy, witch hat the girl was wearing was bigger than the skimpy outfit she had on, the fabric barely covering her large _cauldrons._

_More like sluty witch..._

Max scoffed at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I seriously doubt you're gonna score looking like," she gestured to his whole---_everything._ "That..."

"You never know, sweets. Chicks dig zombies."

"Everything about that sentence just makes me concerned about the type of women you choose to take home."

"Keep your judgy comments to yourself, Red."

Billy ended up wandering off to scope out the other party goers, leaving Max to look for her friends. 

It wasn’t too hard to spot her boys once she actually looked for them.

"That is not an acceptable costume, Micheal!" Dustin cried outraged, gesturing to Mike’s outfit while he argued with the other boy. Lucas was standing beside them trying not to laugh at the two dorks.

"All we agreed on was that we had to be original! How is this not original?" Mike argued, throwing his arms out!

"Because you’re using props from last year dumbass!"

Mike was indeed wearing his costume from last year, with a few minor adjustments at least. It was his ghostbuster get-up and his proton pack, but now the outfit was ripped up and very dirty.

"I told you, I couldn’t think of anything else in time. But come on, how is a ghost Ghostbuster not original!?"

Yes, Mike had dressed up as a_ ghost_ Ghostbuster...a ghost hunter of ghosts...irony at its finest.

"I still do not approve," Dustin complained disappointed, shaking his head.

Dustin had gone with a new look, honoring the new release of Super Mario Brothers by dressing up as half of both brothers. His fake mustache and poofed out hat with his suspenders made him look like a disgruntled cartoon character.

Major points for originality though.

Lucas was dressed up in a solid green army uniform with a helmet, a fake machine gun and his entire body was painted green. He'd gone with Army Man figurine.

Again, points for originality.

"We are done talking about this," Mike stated.

"We are not done talking about th--oh, hey Max!" Dustin cut himself off, smiling at her as she walked over to them. All three boys looked at her with awe, taking in every inch of her costume proudly.

She felt pride in herself for being able to shock them all.

“Did you make this yourself?” Lucas asked, walking around her to see the cape and all. It was very impressive.

“Worked on it from day one, figured I would have to show you boys how it’s done,” she said proudly, twirling around so they could all see the whole outfit.

"God dammit, she wins…" Mike groaned, throwing his hands up.

Dustin pouted but nodded in agreement, “MadMax wins Halloween, everybody else just go home."

"What was your inspiration for this?" Mike asked, looking at her basket and what was inside.

Max shrugged, not really knowing how to explain her sudden idea. It just came to her without warning.

"Irony, I guess. Instead of the Big Bad Wolf eating Red Riding Hood, she kills the wolf instead. Kind of a psycho Red if you will.”

After the boys had shown off their costumes and danced around for awhile, they all agreed to head out trick or treating after eating. Steve had made a huge buffet of food, including some Halloween goodies Dustin had brought that Mrs. Henderson had made. There were graveyard pudding cups, candy apples, witch fingers, ghost lollies, pumpkin cakes, mummy hotdogs and even cotton candy spider webs. Everything looked amazing and tasted great too. 

When Max went to refill her cup of poison in the kitchen, she suddenly felt Billy come up behind her, leaning across her shoulder to mumble against her ear.

"I'm goin' outside...stay out of trouble," he warned before disappearing again. 

Max figured her brother would most likely be prowling around to scare people, or some helpless kids. 

Either way she knew he was the one looking for trouble...hypocrite...

"MadMax!" Dustin called out to her left, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of tombstone pudding cups. "Me and the guys are gonna have an eating contest, you in?"

Max thought about it for a second before shrugging, "Sure, I could go for some graveyard dirt."

* * *

Not only was Max the reigning champion on kick-ass costumes, she was also the best at chowing down pudding cups.

To Dustin’s horror...his title had been taken.

"Jesus, is there anything you aren’t good at?" Dustin complained lightly, tossing his last pudding cup down in defeat. "Killer arcade player, Queen of Halloween, awesome costume skills and now you kick our asses at eating junk food. MadMax you _are_ perfect…"

Max preened at the compliment, even though her stomach was now beyond full. She probably should have stopped three pudding cups ago. 

"Well, after the rousing culinary mistake, who’s up for some good old fashioned trick or treating? Maybe more emphasis on the trick rather than treat after all that sugar," Lucas suggested.

They had all brought some type of container for treats. Mike was using his proton pack as his bag. Dustin had a green pumpkin head for his bag. Lucas brought a small army bag for his and Max had her basket. They mapped out their route for the night, planning on hitting up Loch Nora first for the big candy bars and hopefully some fancy chocolates.

Max wondered if she should look for Billy before leaving the party but figured he would find her if he needed to, he knew she was planning on going trick or treating anyway. Knowing her brother, he was most likely causing trouble in his own way or trying to score a girl for the night. Either way, she would just look for him later.

The sweet goodness of lollies and chocolates were calling her name.

_As the Queen of Halloween, she was destined to answer the call._

Okay...so maybe it wasn’t all lollies and chocolates like they’d hoped it would be...

  
"Who the Hell gives out oranges on Halloween!?" Dustin cried outrageously, waving the orange fruit around like it had personally offended him! "Candy! You’re supposed to give out candy! Fruit is for shitty fruit cakes you give to relatives you don’t like for Christmas!"

"At least you got an orange, all I got was an apple," Mike complained lightly, tossing the red fruit away.

They had been tricking and treating for a couple hours, hitting up the rich folks of Hawkins first before heading across town. It seemed that the local nursing home had gone with a healthier treat for the kids instead of their normal candy. 

It sucked because the old folks normally had the best lollipops!

The Party continued to mosey around town for a couple more hours getting as many treats as they could. Max happily scared the pants off a few people and even made one old woman faint!

Her sense of humor was twisted like that...

It wasn't long before they decided to call it a night though. The boys had plans to head back to Mike's house for the night and have a sleepover. Max figured she would head back towards home, Billy was most likely looking for her anyway. 

After parting ways, the boys headed towards Mike's house while Max totted off in the other direction, her basket swinging from her hand filled with her goodies. 

Max walked along the silent street alone, clutching her basket of goodies in both hands to act as a security blanket in a way. She didn't mind the dark or the thought of being by herself, it was the fear of what was in the dark that scared her. 

Fighting monsters will do that to you. 

It was very late and most of the lively trick or treaters had gone home to fill their bellies with sugar.

That was her plan for the remainder of the evening, but the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stood up. There was a creepy feeling chilling her spine. Before she could turn around though, a gust of icy wind whipped by her head and she heard footsteps behind her. 

"Boo."

Jumping in fright, Max almost screamed seeing Billy standing directly behind her smirking.

"Where the Hell have you been?" she cried, smacking at him as he got in step beside her.

"Could ask you the same thing," he rumbled. "Where have you been?"

She held up her basket, shaking it. It was stuffed full of her candy loot. She and Dustin ended up with the best haul for the night, scoring the most Snickers bars and even a candy apple each.

"You gonna share some 'a that?" Billy asked, smirking when she pouted.

Max pulled her basket close, coveting her precious sweets. She would never share her loot with anyone on Halloween, always treating her candy like it was gold. 

"Did you have a good night?" Billy asked casually, taking the lead. 

Max shrugged half-heartedly, "Pretty good. What about you?"

"Gave some folks a good scare," he grinned cheekily. Looking the way he did, that probably wasn't such a difficult achievement.

They walked in silence for a couple of blocks when Billy suddenly made a hard left, taking a side street in a different direction from their house. Before Max could question him, he turned and gestured for her to follow him.

"I don’t wanna go home yet, come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You’ll see."

"You know this is how most horror movies start out. The unsuspecting victim following the villain off somewhere quiet to be dismembered. Or maybe buried alive? Possibly kidnapped and tossed into a pit of hyenas?"

"The Hell kind of horror movies have you been watching?"

"Don’t question my film choices."

The rest of the walk was filled with mindless banter. Billy continued to lead her to wherever he was going, seemingly able to find his way in the darkness without any trouble. He wouldn’t tell her where they were going, no matter how many times she asked him. He’d just grin at her with mischief in his eyes and say, "Wait and see."

She probably should have been worried, knowing Billy’s strange antics could sometimes lead to danger, but honestly she didn’t even care where they were going. So long as she got to spend time with her brother uninterrupted, it didn’t matter what they did or where they went.

Getting to spend Halloween night together was all she wanted for them.

Walking down a dark dirt road with no idea of their destination?

Not exactly what she had in mind, but whatever.

"Seriously, where are we going?" she whined, her feet were really starting to hurt from all the walking she’d done throughout the night.

Flat feet and concrete roads did not mix!

"Stop complaining...we’re almost there." Billy pointed to an outcropping near the side of the dirt road, the moonlight shining down to illuminate the spot.

Max followed him over to it and gasped when she realized where they were standing. The bright moon was casting a lovely glow on the water below them, the large cavernous of the quarry staring back at them. There were stars shining, winking down at her like a thousand fireflies from above.

_It was beautiful._

Billy smirked at her awestruck expression, sitting down on the ledge of the rock face to gaze down at the water. She slowly sat next to him, setting her basket down beside her and grabbing a lollie to suck on. With the full moon shining down on them it was easy to see everything, from the sparkling water to the starry night sky above, it was relaxing.

They sat in companionable silence for awhile, each of them taking in the view and the calmness of the night.

Max was startled when her brother suddenly leaned further over the edge of the quarry, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Ever get an urge to jump?" he whispered, glancing down at the water below.

Max looked down at the water beneath them then back to Billy, wondering where he was going with the dark thoughts. Everyone had some strange urges at times, it was human nature, but she’d never really thought about death in that instance.

After all the death she'd seen recently, she tried not to think about it at all.

Looking up at her big brother, Max could see that uneasy darkness creeping up inside him again. It scared her sometimes to see Billy’s eyes just fade into a dull gaze, losing their brilliant blue hue.

He just seemed...broken.

"It would probably only hurt for a second," he continued quietly. "Maybe wouldn’t even feel anything at all…"

Max felt her heart pick up from the tone Billy was using. It didn’t sound like he was merely thinking out loud or making a fucked up observation.

It was _suggestive._

Was he honestly talking about suicide? No...no, he wouldn’t do that, would he?

"Billy?" Max whispered uneasily, looking up at him in concern. Everything in her voice screamed all her questions at once. 

_Why are we here? _

_Are you okay? _

_You're scaring me, what's wrong?_

She wanted to yell at him to knock it off and stop saying such horrible things, but held it back when he turned back towards her. The dead look in his eyes suddenly faded as he stared at her, giving her a signature smirk as he stood back up.

"Let’s go home, Red."

Max worried her bottom lip as she slowly trailed after him, walking back down the dirt road towards town and towards home. She glanced back at the quarry, dread settling in her stomach just thinking about jumping off the edge like Billy had said. Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she quickened her pace to catch up to her brother.

Later that night, Max sat in her room munching on her sweet treats while Billy watched her, the two of them listening to soft rock music as the moon slowly began to descend into daylight. All in all, it had been a pretty good Halloween.

* * *

The boys were all gathered at the Wheeler house, lounging about in Mike's basement. After their Halloween night excursion, they had all headed over to spend the night at the Wheeler home and spend the next day together. Since Max had opted out of the sleepover, it was only the guys together. 

However, that was probably for the best since their resident MadMax was the topic of choice. 

"I don't know guys, something's up with her," Dustin muttered doubtfully. 

"We know, but what's wrong with her?" Mike groaned. 

"And more importantly, how do we fix it?" Lucas chimed. 

Dustin was sorting through his candy halfheartedly, too focused on the conversation to pay much attention to his sweets. Lucas and Mike were crashed on the couch together flinging candy wrappers at each other. 

"You've seen the weird way she's been acting lately, right? She's been super jumpy. We went out the other day and I could just tell something was up. She got really defensive when I told her we were worried about her," Lucas claimed with a heavy sigh. He didn't know what was going on with his girlfriend but it was worrying him. 

Max had closed herself off in a way, keeping them all at an arms length. It only began after the 4th of July battle. They were all upset over what happened, who wasn't? The loss of Will and El afterwards only added to their grief. It had been a hard couple of months for them all. 

"What should we do?" Mike asked, having no idea how to help his friend. 

That was the problem.

None of them knew how to help Max. 

"Maybe we should take her to see a psychologist?" Dustin shrugged, opening up a Snickers bar. 

"That is so not funny, dude..." Lucas groaned, sending Dustin a mild glare. 

Dustin gave an apologetic smile, only trying to ease the tension. It was only a few minutes later when he suddenly thought of something.

"Guys...weird question but I totally have to ask out of concern...you don't think Max is--like--_seeing_ things, do you?" 

"Seeing things?" Mike questioned, not understanding. Seeing what?

"Seeing. Things." Dustin enunciated slowly, raising his eyebrows in a _come on get with the program_ kind of way. He waited somewhat patiently for the other two to get what he was implying. It took a minute but soon enough Lucas and Mike both gasped softly and quickly followed the strange line of thought. 

Seeing things. 

"You mean seeing _someone_," Lucas muttered uneasily, shivering at the very thought. All three boys shared an uncomfortable look. 

_Oh shit..._

* * *

On the other side of town, down on Cherry Lane, the Hargrove house was far from peaceful or quiet at that moment. 

Max had taken to hiding in the closet as far back as she could, listening to the growing cries of her mom as raised voices echoed from the kitchen. 

Neil was on a rampage, spewing out hateful things to his wife and taking out his anger on her. The argument had started over something small but had escalated quickly out of control. 

It was a normal occurrence now, one that Max wished she could stop altogether.

There was a rustling sound in front of her, the rough noise of someone rifling towards the back of the closet where she was sitting. With what little light there was, Max could see the outline of her brother as he crawled back to hunch down beside her. 

"What are you doing?" she whispered frantically, moving to make sure the closet door was still firmly shut. If Neil found them there would be Hell to pay.

"You're in _my_ room, dumbass," he growled, shoving his way further in to sit near her. The closet was tiny to begin with and Max could hardly move around fully on her own, now it was even more cramped with Billy's large frame tucked away with her. 

"When did you even get here?" she asked quietly.

Billy didn't answer her, he merely sat looking through the crack in the door letting light ghost over his face. The voices of their parents became louder and louder, filling the house with angry shouts and cursing insults. There was a sudden crash of what sounded like glass shattering against the wall. She didn't understand how things got so bad with her mom and Neil. It was like her step-father was constantly angry at her mother for every little thing. 

It was a constant battle of wills between the two adults. 

Max had always known Neil had one Hell of a temper. It was obvious where Billy got his own from. The older man was a picture of a model citizen with the perfect wife and children, the small house on the end of the block, the kind of man who actually went to neighborhood meetings to discuss pointless shit like lawn of the week. Underneath that innocent exterior, Neil Hargrove was a cold-blooded, disdainful human being hiding behind a mask of righteousness. 

Before, Max would only witness her step-fathers temper if he was so far gone he didn't care to keep up his act. 

Now, however, it was almost a daily struggle to stay out of Neil's way. 

"Why is he so angry?" Max whispered timidly, wondering how her brother even managed to sneak past the adults. 

Maybe they were so far gone fighting each other neither had noticed Billy.

Instead of answering her question, Billy turned away from the door to look at her. He had that look again, that dead look in his eyes.

_One that could only mean trouble._

"Scared of the big bad monster, Max?" he whispered harshly, leaning in close so every breath hits her damp cheek. His rasping the only sound besides Max's rapid breathing in the enclosed space.

Tears begin to fall down her cheeks soundlessly. 

Max ignored them just as she ignored Billy's hurtful words. She worried about her mom, with Billy and her hiding in the closet, Neil had no one else to hurt. She hoped to God Neil didn't come looking for them. 

Billy continued to stare at her, watching the tears fall to her knees pressed against her chest. 

"You should be..." he warned, his voice guttural in the darkness. 

"If you're just going to be mean then go away!" Max whispered harshly, glaring at her brother through the darkness. 

Billy scoffed, rolling his eyes at her dramatics. "Relax, shitbird. I'm not leaving you."

It happened again, that thing where his eyes go from vibrant blue to dull and dead looking. Max stared at him nervously. 

"Why do you do that?" she questioned softly, keeping her voice low. 

"Do what?"

"You change. One second you're you, but then your eyes---_change._ I'm just worried about you."

"Scared I'll turn into a monsters bitch again?" he sneered, making the whole thing into a sick joke. "Lose my mind? Maybe kill a few people? Might even get a kink for body possession, you never know!"

"Stop," she demanded, turning away from him in frustration. She hated it when he turned everything into a cruel taunt like that, turning mountains into mole hills. If Billy was only going to mock her for being concerned then she wouldn't stick around to listen. 

"What do you want me to say, Max?" Billy grumbled in protest. "My head was a monsters playground. You think I'd be perfectly peachy after all that shit? You think it didn't leave a mark? I got mind fucked and used like a goddamn puppet!"

Max flinched and bit her lips, trying to keep her composure, fighting back the tears threatening to fall again. 

"You might be able to forget about that but I can't," he growled. "I won't forget being dragged down those stairs. I won't forget the way that _thing_ invaded my mind. I can't forget taking all those people back to the hive. Getting thrown through a brick wall! How about getting impaled through the chest? Think I'll ever forget that, Maxine?"

"Stop talking about it!" she cried, pleading with him to stop.

"Stop pretending it didn't fucking happen!" he screamed right back, glaring at her. 

"I'm not pretending it didn't happen, Billy! I know it happened! I still have nightmares about that night and all the pain you went through, what that--that thing made you do!" she whimpered, the damn memories coming back now that she'd brought them up. "I think about it _every_ day..."

She took a shakey breath, her lower lip quivering as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Outside the bedroom door they could both hear Neil and Susan heading for the master bedroom for the night. Knowing it was now safe to emerge from the closet, Max slowly opened the closet door and crawled out into the bedroom. 

The second she heard her parents bedroom door slam shut she turned towards the bedroom door to leave, away from Billy. 

"Where are you going?" he demanded quietly.

"Just--I just wanna sleep alone tonight..." she whispered, wiping her eyes to the point of pain. She didn't have to see his face to know he was surprised, and annoyed, she could hear it in his voice when he griped back at her, "We both know you won't sleep."

Max shook her head and still refused to look at him, "I still want to be alone."

Without bothering to wait for a response, Max walked out of Billy's room and down the hall towards her own. She knew the chances of her actually sleeping were slim, not that she cared, but she didn't want to be around her brother any longer. 

To her surprise, Billy conceded her wishes and left her alone. Not surprisingly, she didn't sleep at all. She merely laid on the bed and cried silently, staring at the ceiling as she wallowed in her misery.

It was only when the clock face rolled to 4:38AM did she finally give up on sleep...

Rolling out of bed, she quickly pulled on some clothes not caring whether they were dirty or not. She didn't bother with turning her light on, fumbling around in the darkness for her shoes as she hopped towards the bedroom window. 

Silent as she could, Max quietly slipped out the window and shut it again, looking at the latch to make sure it didn't accidentally close on her. 

That would suck. 

Foregoing her board or her bike, Max pulled her jacket tightly around her shoulders and began the long hike towards her destination. The chilly Autumn air bit at her cheeks with every step she took. It was hardly even light enough to see outside, the first light of dawn breaking beneath the horizon had just barely peaked. Max knew by the times she reached where she was going it would be daylight, enough for her too see clearly. 

She didn't need light though. 

By now, she could find her way there blindfolded. 

The quiet town of Hawkins was dead silent during the early light of dawn. No one was even out that early. Only the soft howling wind and Max's own footsteps broke the calm silence of the morning.

Pumpkins from Halloween night still lined the streets along with bales of hay, candy wrappers and scary decorations. Most houses still had their Halloween lights on outside, the bright orange and purple neon bulbs casting reflections against windows. It was very pretty and eased the ache in Max's chest. 

Something she desperately needed. 

The long walk across town took her past the school and the park. There were both good and bad memories everywhere she looked. Hawkins had not been a fun experience at first after they had moved there but at least she could say that she had found the greatest group of friends she'd ever had. 

People who loved her. 

People she loved. 

People she hoped would always be in her life. 

You never know how long you'll have someone...

Before long, Max looked up at the entrance she had been heading for. The old sign was faded slightly, framed by beautiful oak trees still full of their lovely colored leaves. The melancholy view beyond the trees was her true destination though.

_Hawkins Memorial Cemetery_

Weaving about between the gray colored headstones, Max slowly made her way to the far side of the graveyard. There was a large patch of ground dedicated to policemen and law enforcement officers of all kinds. The Party had tried to make it a habit to come visit Hopper as often as possible. Keeping flowers and other knick knacks on his grave as a sign of love for the man. The beautiful headstone was black onyx, gold lettering that read out;

  
_James 'Jim' Hopper_

  
_May 16th, 1942 - July 4th, 1985_

_Loving Father and Friend._

_The greatest Chief this world could ask for. _

  
The police force had payed for the headstone with countless donations from the town and surrounding area. Everyone loved Hopper as both a friend and as the Chief of Police. It had been hard to lose him during the battle at Starcourt, knowing the world would never know just what kind of hero Hopper had been. 

The Party knew, maybe that was enough.

Max continued to simply gaze at Hopper's headstone for awhile, enjoying the peaceful morning chill in the air and the quiet. It wasn't long though before she heard a noise behind her, followed by harsh breathing and a heavy aura she was too familiar with by now. 

"The next time you sneak out of the house, don't make so much noise."

Turning slightly, Max came face to face with Billy's lumbering frame standing close to her. He wasn't exactly dressed for the cold weather but it didn't seem to bother him. 

"Why even come here?" he questioned, glancing down at Hopper's stone. 

"You know why," she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself to block out the cold wind. "Just because he's gone doesn't mean I can't come talk to him sometimes."

"Talking to dead people now, Max?"

Max turned to glare at him, stepping away from Hopper's grave to head to a different section of the cemetery instead. 

Another one she was familiar with. 

The first light of sunrise had begun to come over the horizon, streaming down through the large trees surrounding the graveyard to warm the cold stones. The very faint layer of fog from the ground made it all look kind of creepy, perfect for Halloween time though.

Max bobbed and weaved through the headstones, eventually coming to the one she was looking for. Just staring at the gray chuck on rock made her gut twist uncomfortably. Glancing to her right, she swallowed heavily. It was one thing to stand in front of your brothers grave and grieve for him. 

It was another to stand in front of your brothers grave while watching him lounge against another headstone, grinning madly...

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Billy smirked darkly, watching her with those cold, dead eyes. 

Covered in black blood, his white shirt torn by the Mind Flayer. 

Mouth stained black. 

Skin a pale, lifeless gray. 

His flesh mutilated from the monsters teeth. 

_"Maaaxxx?"_

She turned away from him, avoiding both the headstone in front of her and the ghost of her brother beside her.

"How many times do I have to say goodbye?" she asked softly, feeling tears behind her eyes.

Billy moved to touch a strand of her hair across her cheek, his fingertips ghosting over her skin. 

"If you think it'll ever be goodbye," he whispered, his touch as biting cold as the wind against her skin. 

"...you should have buried me _deeper_."

_Am I making you uncomfortable?_

_Want me to feel a little less?_

_You should've packed the dirt over my grave tighter_

_I_ _f you didn't wanna hear me gasping for breath_

_Fin_

**Author's Note:**

> ...tricked you.


End file.
